Jabal Amman and Wast al-balad

I arrived in Amman less than 48 hours ago and it already feels like home. I was fortunate enough to find a large apartment in Dahiyat Al-Rashid, close to the institute, and move in less than a day after arriving.  My bedroom is huge with a bunch of closet space and a vanity/dresser. It has a large window that opens onto the garden. The main downside to our place is that it is dark. Even though there are windows, the awnings outside keep much light from getting in. But the lack of sun exposure is necessary since we have no A/C. The apartment is a very comfortable temperature. The first night I spent in a hostel in the center of town and paid 7 dinars for a barebones room with a window facing a mosque that was blaring incomprehensible sermons for hours on end. I went to Hashem's Restaurant, one of the most famous in Amman, and had the best hummus and falafel in my life. I wandered around downtown, saw the Roman amphitheater in the dark and many street cats rifling through all the trash.

I feel so fortunate to have the landlords that I do. They are a lovely Palestinian family that lives next door with two boys and two girls. They repeatedly tell us that they are there for anything that we need-- and they clearly mean it. Yesterday evening my two roommates and I sat with them in their picturesque garden, smoking hookah, drinking tea, and explaining the difference between Mormons and the Amish.  The father, Abu Barakah, lived in Germany for 46 years and is fascinated with religious diversity in different western countries. It is clear that he and his wife, Umm Yahya, have so many interesting stories and I look forward to getting to know them.

My roommates and I explored a few neighborhoods today: Jabal Amman and central Amman. The two areas couldn't be more different. Jabal Amman is very stylish-- full of swanky cafes and shops with quiet streets lined with trees. It is the more Christian part of town, as we saw a few 'Bible Societies' there. We walked to the center of the city that is more bustling, has the fruit and vegetable souqs, and the historic sights.

Amman is more hilly than I expected, which allows a lot of opportunities to see across the city. 

And to give everyone an idea of the scenes left out of most pictures, here are the slopes at the foot of the panoramic views, packed with trash:

The highlight of my day was making my first real purchase in Amman. While my roommates were buying cooking supplies and practical household goods, I managed to nab some snake oil for one and half dinars! The same store was selling ostrich ointment to help cure rheumatism.

I'm 99% sure no animals were harmed in the making of either of these products. If actual cobras were used to make all the red oil I bought, it probably would have been much more expensive.

Here are some more pictures from the souqs:

Billboard of the king and his heir:

 And finally the Roman Amphitheater which was built in the 2nd century AD. It's huge and well preserved. Visitors are allowed to climb up the very steep stairs to the top. There is another, smaller amphitheater nearby, and many other Roman ruins including a Nymphaeum, which was a large bathing area, and many Roman walls and columns.

The entrance fee for foreigners in one dinar. For Jordanians, it's about 10 or 15 cents, making it a common spot to hang out with friends and family. There is a museum attached to the amphitheater than has a lot of Arab and Roman artifacts, including many beautiful, but poorly-lit, mosaics of plants and animals.

Here is the smaller amphitheater. I'm not sure how this was used differently than the large one. Presumably for more private performances. The larger amphitheater seats at least 6,000 people. The smaller one is probably around 1,000.

My orientation for the Qasid Institute is tomorrow morning, Monday is oral tests, and Tuesday will be my first day of classes. That is probably when my touring around will come to an end. 

So far I'm really impressed with Amman. I have encountered very few rude people so far (most are extremely welcoming and curious), and there has been minimal sexual harassment. The weather has been unbelievably nice-- warm and sunny during the day and a little chilly at night. I'm really looking forward to meeting my professors and the rest of the other students tomorrow.